What’s the greatest TV theme song ever? That’s easy:
The Sanford and Son theme song is by Quincy Jones, of course. If you looked at his resume, you’d be astonished. The guy works.
Entertainment is full of such people — immensely talented and hard-working — just mostly more obscure than Quincy Jones. They’re the strange looking gaggles of people picking up their statuettes when the sun is still up, and the stringy has-been comedienne hasn’t even started making fun of famous people’s clothes outside yet.
I’ve often watched movies and just wondered at the ability of the set decorators, costumers, and the music. Hollywood and the music industry hire all the best people, except for the stars, generally. It’s why I’m noticing the set decoration instead of the acting. Even Sanford and Son, it pains me to admit, was just some people milling around on a stage, like almost all situation comedies are. It was fantastic for 50 seconds at the beginning and end, though, wasn’t it?
What’s the second best TV theme song? We all agree on number one, I assume.
Updated: Perhaps I was hasty.
OK, what’s the third best TV theme song ever?
10 Responses
Musical quality is one thing, but probably most everybody’s faves correlate with their happier Tube memories.
After looking through the top 100, I only had one fave from the 80s, and most of my faves were from the 60s or even the 50s.
Just an old fart, I guess. But I did stop watching the tube in the 70s.
Bonanza! Which even has lyrics…”We got a right to pick a little fight, Bonanza!” I’ve forgotten the rest.
Ride ’em in,
Ride ’em out,
Rawhide!
My favorite, juvenile as it may be, is the tale of the three-hour tour, the three-hour tour…
1. Sanford & Son
2. Rockford Files
3. Barney Miller
Greatest ever: The theme from “Johnny Quest”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABS44R1UG-U
dave-o: An odd and wonderful choice.
Better than the Johnny Quest them is the JQ-inspired them of the parody Venture Bros.
You Tube Link to Venture Bros. Theme
Blake- that is good, I’d never heard it.
There is, and always has been a lot of good music on television.
Sip,
That’s very true. We used to discuss that at school. I’ve been re-watching the old Twilight Zones, seeing names like Bernard Hermann, Jerry Goldsmith and Fred Steiner makes you realize how much TV owes to music.
You must be insane. “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” is hands down the purest reification of Beauty known to mortal man.
Ben